The role and impact of philanthropic and religious schools in developing countries: a rigorous review of the evidence.

Contents

Abstract

This report summarises the findings of a rigorous review on the role and
impact of philanthropic and religious schools in developing countries. A
prior review initially sought to cover all types of non-state schools,
but was subsequently separated into two parts (the other part
specifically reviewed the role and impact of private schools in
developing countries). The categorisation of these providers has been
driven by the coverage of the literature with a focus on those education
providers whose foundational ideology is religious (religious schools)
and those founded as philanthropic organisations, such as NGOs, CSOs,
etc. (philanthropic schools). A full discussion of these categories will
be set out in a full final report that synthesises the two reviews
and will enable the drawing of comparisons across these types of
provision.

While there has been a growing interest in the potential contribution of
non-state providers of education to meet international educational
goals, much of the recent debate has focused on low-cost private
schools. The potential and implications of other forms of providers have
received relatively little attention, despite their substantial and
important role in a range of developing countries. These providers may
operate with a set of incentives and purposes very different from those
of private schools, affecting how and where they operate as well as
their relationship with the state and state education systems. Mapping
our existing knowledge and gaps on the role of these providers – how
they operate, which communities they serve and the quality and type of
education they provide – as well as understandings of how they interact
with international actors, the state and state education provision, can
therefore provide important insights into if and how they might improve
access to quality education for all.